Method of preparing glass panels



' June 7, 1932. I E MATTMAN 1,861,577 r I v METH OD OF PREPARING GLASSPANELS File d Feb. 25. 1950 ausfave'f/zzifanan Patented June 7, 1932UNITED]: STATES.

GUSTAVE I. IAT'IIAN, O1! CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOB TO THE,OINOINNATIAD- PATEN OFFICE 'VERTISING PRODUCTS COMPANY, 01' CINCINNATI, OHIO, A.COREOBA'IYION OI OHIO METHOD OF PREPARING GLASS PANELS Application filedIebruary 25, 1980. Serial No. 431,814.

This invention relates to a method of treat ing glass surfaces so thatadvertising matof a glass display panel having aninner surface carryingadvertising matter and a background and an outer surface treated in anovel manner so that it will not emit glare and high lights which renderindistinguishable the advertising matter carried by the inner surfaceand observable through the treated outer surface.

Another object is to provide an efficient.

practical and inexpensive method for the manufacture of glass displaypanels of the' above type.

These and other objects are attained by the method and means describedherein and 1111.15- trated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a plan view and a cross-sectional view,respectively, of a panel to be treated.

Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive illustrate the various ste is of the process fortreating the anel.

ig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of t e completed panel.

Fig. 8 is a greatly enlarged cross-sectional view of the panel showingits condition after the etching treatment.

Display panels of the general type disclosed herein are in common usageon the illuminated globes of gasoline dispensing pumps, for displayingthe trade names of the various kinds of gasoline on sale. The displaypanels of the present invention are adapted for such use, but itis to beunderstood that the method disclosed herein may be applied also to themanufacture of spherical display globes and to globes of other shapes.

Some of the display panels in common usage have' a ground or etchedouter surface with advertising matter painted or otherwise applied tosaid outer surface. Others have a transparent but glossy outer surfacethrough which may be observed the advertising matter painted orotherwise applied to the rear-or inner surface. The advertising matterof the first mentioned type of panel is more easilyread because of thefact that glare or higlf 'lights are eliminated by re moval of the glossor finish from the outer surface, but such panels are objectionable because of the fact that atmospheric action soon removes or partiallyremoves the exposed painted advertisement. The second mentioned type ofpanel is objectionable for the reason that the advertising matterthereon 1s rendered indistinguishable by glare or high hghts when viewedfrom certain angles.

This glare or high light is caused chiefly by the manner disclosedherein, the glare or high lights of the outer surface are reducedsufliciently to render the advertising matter readily distinguishable,the outer surface however remaining transparent so that the advertisingmatter may beapplied to the inner surface and observed through the outersurface. The improved panel also may be illuminated from the insideduring the night season, as is common practice.

The method of treating the panel is as follows. A preferably circularsheet 11 of transparent glass (Figs. 1 and 2) has one of its surfaces 10exposed to a fine but brief spray .9 (Fig. 3) of paint or other suitablematerial Which will afford some resistance to the action of dilute.hydrofluoric or other acid suitable for etching glass. The sprayed panelthen is immersed in a bath of said acid (Fig. 4) which acts freely uponthe under or inner surface 12 of the panel but Which attacks the upperor coated surface 10 only in the minute less etched surface on face 10than on the unprotected face 12, as is readily understood. The etchingon face 10 is lnsufiicient to maprotective coating, however, there isactually applied to the face 12. The background subhavin stance or paintmay cover the advertising matter, as indicated.

The next operation is that of firing the panel to set the paint andshape the panel. This is accomplished by placing the panel upon aconcave or dished mold 15, (Fig. 6) and subjecting the panel and mold toan intense heat which is sufiicient to cause the panel to soften andsag, of its own weight, assuming the dished shape of the mold. Uponcooling,

the panel is removed from the mold in the' condition indicated in Fig. 7the advertising matter being on the concave face 12, the convex face 10carrying the minute spaced etched areas as'above explained.

Because of the character of surface 10 after acid etchingin the presenceof minute paint globules as above described, the face 10 is not renderedsmooth by the firing operation, as it would be if etched in the absenceof such protective globules. The minuteprotective globules insure theformation of comparatively large spaced projections or humps on thesurface 10 between the acid etched areas,

. as is disclosed by microscopic inspection.

These projections are sufliciently large and substantial to preventtheir collapse or fiattening out during the firing operation. As statedbefore, the transparency of surface 10 is not materially affected by thetreatment, but said surface thereby is rendered substantially free fromthe objectionable highlights and glare occasioned by light fromextraneous sources.

The acid bath used in the process preferably is a solution ofhydrofluoric acid and water, in which solution the panel is immersed fora period of several minutes. The strength of the solution and the periodof immersion are related factors and must be taken into considerationfor attainment of the desired result, as is well known. If the bath israther strong, the panels should remain there- I in a shorter period oftime than would be necessary for a weaker bath, to attain the ance withthe invention does not require interior illumination, as do ground glasspanels having advertising matter or letters painted upon the interiorunexposed glossy face thereof. a i

What is claimed is 1., The method of treating glass objects oppositefaces, said method consisting 0 spraying finely atomized acid resistupon oneof the faces whereby to provide on said face numerous minuteparticles for resisting acid action, immersing the coated object in anetching acid bath capable of attacking glass-surfaces, removing theetched object from the bath, and applyingdecorative matter to the otherface thereof.

7 2. The method of treating glass objects having opposite faces, saidmethod consisting ofapplying to one of the faces numerous minutesubstantially uniformly spaced particles of acid resist, immersing thecoated object in an etching acid bath capable of at-' tackinggl'ass'surfaces, removing the etched object from the bath, applyingdecorative matter to the other face thereof, and firing the decoratedobject to bake the decorative matter on said face.

3. The method of treating glass objects Q rative matter to the otherface of the object.

and firing the decorated object to bake the decorative matter on saidface.

4. The method of treating glass objects having opposite faces, saidmethod consisting of applying to one of the faces numerous minutesubstantially uniformly spaced particles of acid resist, immersing thecoated object in an etchin acid bath capable of attacking glass suraces, removing the etched object from the bath and washing said objectto remove the coating material and to check the action of the acid,applying decorative matter to the other face of the object, applyingbackground material to said other face, and firing the decorated objectto bake the decorative matter and the background posing the object upona shaping device, and firing the superposed object for baking the Ydecorative matter on said face and for semiliquefying the object therebycausing the object to sag into the shaping device and to assume theinterior contour thereof.

6. The method of treating glass objects having opposite faces, saidmethodconsisting of applying to one of the faces numerous minutesubstantially uniformly spaced particles of acid resist, immersing thecoated object in an etching acid bath'capable of attacking glasssurfaces, removing the etched object from the bath and washing to checkthe action of the acid, applyin decorative matter to the other face ofthe object, superposing the object upon a shaping device, with thedecorative matter uppermost, and firing the superposed object for bakingthe decorative matter on said face and for semiliquefying the objectthereby causing the object to sag into the shaping device and to assumethe interior contour thereof.

7 The method of treating glass objects having opposite faces, saidmethod consisting of applying to one of the faces numerous minutesubstantially uniformly spaced particles of acid resist, immersing thecoated object in an etching acid bath capable of attacking glasssurfaces, removing the etched objectfromthe bath and washing to checkthe action of the acid, applying decorative matter to the other face ofthe object, applying background material to said face, superposing theobject upon a concave shaping device, with the decorative matteruppermost, and firing the superposed object and semi-liquefying saidobject thereby causing it to sag into the concavity of the shapingdevice and to assume the concave shape thereof.

8. The method of treating glass panels having opposite faces, saidmethod consisting of spraying finel atomized aint u on one of thesurfaces vz'hereby to provide on said surface numerous minute particlesfor resisting acid action, immersing the sprayed panel in an etchingacid bath capable of attacking glass surfaces, removing the etched panelfrom the bath and washing same to check the action of the acid, applyingdecorative matter to the other face of the panel, superposing the panelupon a shaping device with the decorative matter uppermost, and heatingthe panel sufiiciently to semi-liquefy the panel and cause it to assumethe shape of the shaping device.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 21 day ofFebruary,

GUSTAVE F. MATTMAN.

